Human Immunodeficiency Virus Is Associated With Poor Overall Survival Among Patients With Head and Neck Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) occurs at higher rates among persons with HIV (PWH). This study compares the impact of sociodemographic and clinicopathologic characteristics on outcomes among PWH-HNSCC compared with HNSCC patients without HIV. METHODS: Patient data from HNSCC individuals were collected at a single academic hospital center between 2002 and 2018. Forty-eight patients with HIV (HIV-HNSCC) and 2894 HNSCC patients without HIV were included. Multivariate analysis determined predictors of survival using Cox proportional hazards regression model. HIV-positive and -negative tumors were analyzed by quantitative immunofluorescence for expression of CD4, CD8, CD20 and PD-L1. RESULTS: HIV-HNSCC patients had a lower median overall survival than HNSCC patients without HIV (34 [18-84] vs 94 [86-103] months; P < .001). In multivariate analysis that included age, sex, race/ethnicity, stage, site, tobacco use, time to treatment initiation, and insurance status, HIV was an independent predictor of poorer survival, with a hazard ratio of 1.98 (95% CI: 1.32-2.97; P < .001). PWH with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal tumors also had worse prognosis than HPV-positive oropharyngeal tumors in the population without HIV (P < .001). The tumor microenvironment among HIV-HNSCC patients revealed lower intratumoral CD8 infiltration among HIV+ HPV+ tumors compared with HIV- HPV+ tumors (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: HIV-HNSCC patients had worse prognosis than the non-HIV population, with HIV being an independent predictor of poor clinical outcomes when accounting for important sociodemographic and clinicopathologic factors. Our findings highlight differences in tumor biology that require further detailed characterization in large cohorts and increased inclusion of PWH in immunotherapy trials.

Anesthesia screen use may impact operating room communication practices in otolaryngology.

OBJECTIVES: Failures in communication are a leading contributor to medical error. There is increasing attention on cultivating robust communication practices in the Operating Room (OR) to mitigate against patient injury and optimize efficient patient care. Few studies have evaluated how surgical equipment may introduce barriers to team dynamics. DESIGN: We conducted a pilot observational study to examine the relationship between anesthesia screen drapes (which are used inconsistently) and the frequency of verbal exchanges between surgical and anesthesia members. 25 procedures spanning various procedures in Otolaryngology were covertly observed, 12 of which employed a screen. Verbal exchanges were recorded across three stages of the surgery: pre-procedure (before the draping), procedure (drapes placed throughout) and post-procedure (after the removal of the draping). Speaker and content of the exchange was noted as well as various features about the procedure. RESULTS: Decreases in rates of exchanges were most pronounced during the procedure stage, although they did not reach significance on T-testing (p = 0.0719). After controlling for attending, table orientation and number of professionals, regression analysis did reveal a statistically significant decrease in rates of verbal exchanges during the procedure in the presence of the anesthesia screen (7.17 (± 6.33) versus 2.23 (± 1.00), p = 0.0318). Differences were also significant among surgeon-initiated and patient-care-related exchanges (p = 0.0168 and p = 0.0432, respectively). Decreases in anesthesiologist-initiated and non-clinical exchanges did not reach significance (p = 0.1530 and p = 0.5120, respectively). CONCLUSION: This pilot study suggests that anesthesia screens may negatively impact communication practices in the OR.

Pathologic staging changes in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma: Stage migration and implications for adjuvant treatment.

BACKGROUND: The eighth edition of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual (AJCC 8) incorporates depth of invasion (DOI) into the pathologic tumor (pT) classification and pathologic extranodal extension (pENE) into the pathologic nodal (pN) classification for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC). This study evaluated the incidence and prognostic importance of stage migration as a result of these changes in the AJCC 8 staging system. METHODS: From the National Cancer Database, cohorts were identified from patients with OCSCC undergoing definitive surgery between 2004 and 2013 for pT (n = 7184), pN (n = 13,627), and pathologic stage (pStage) analysis (n = 5580). RESULTS: DOI and pENE were prognostic in all groups except for pN3 according to the seventh edition of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual (AJCC 7). Upstaging was seen in 12.4% of patients for the pT classification, in 13.3% for the pN classification, and in 24.8% for the overall pStage grouping. Notably, upstaging led to similar or improved 5-year overall survival (OS) for every AJCC 8 pT/N classification except pStage IVB. Patients with AJCC 7 pT1 tumors that were upstaged to AJCC 8 pT3 tumors had improved OS in comparison with the remainder of the pT3 group (71.7% vs 43.7%; P < .0001). A multivariable analysis of upstaged pT3N0 patients demonstrated a reduced risk of death with the receipt of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT; hazard ratio, 0.56; 95% confidence interval, 0.33-0.95; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Upstaging is common in AJCC 8, and patients with upstaged tumors demonstrate improved survival; these factors should be kept in mind when one is interpreting data with the new staging system. PORT may reduce deaths among newly upstaged pT3N0 patients, and further study is needed in this area.

Treatment deintensification in human papillomavirus-positive oropharynx cancer: Outcomes from the National Cancer Data Base.

BACKGROUND: The growing epidemic of human papillomavirus-positive (HPV+) oropharyngeal cancer and the favorable prognosis of this disease etiology have led to a call for deintensified treatment for some patients with HPV+ cancers. One of the proposed methods of treatment deintensification is the avoidance of chemotherapy concurrent with definitive/adjuvant radiotherapy. To the authors' knowledge, the safety of this form of treatment de-escalation is unknown and the current literature in this area is sparse. The authors investigated outcomes after various treatment combinations stratified by American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) eighth edition disease stage using patients from the National Cancer Data Base. METHODS: A retrospective study of 4443 patients with HPV+ oropharyngeal cancer in the National Cancer Data Base was conducted. Patients were stratified into AJCC eighth edition disease stage groups. Multivariate Cox regressions as well as univariate Kaplan-Meier analyses were conducted. RESULTS: For patients with stage I disease, treatment with definitive radiotherapy was associated with diminished survival compared with chemoradiotherapy (hazard ratio [HR], 1.798; P = .029), surgery with adjuvant radiotherapy (HR, 2.563; P = .002), or surgery with adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (HR, 2.427; P = .001). For patients with stage II disease, compared with treatment with chemoradiotherapy, patients treated with a single-modality (either surgery [HR, 2.539; P = .009] or radiotherapy [HR, 2.200; P = .030]) were found to have poorer survival. Among patients with stage III disease, triple-modality therapy was associated with improved survival (HR, 0.518; P = .024) compared with treatment with chemoradiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Deintensification of treatment from chemoradiotherapy to radiotherapy or surgery alone in cases of HPV+ AJCC eighth edition stage I or stage II disease may compromise patient safety. Treatment intensification to triple-modality therapy for patients with stage III disease may improve survival in this group. Cancer 2018;124:717-26. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Proposing prognostic thresholds for lymph node yield in clinically lymph node-negative and lymph node-positive cancers of the oral cavity.

BACKGROUND: Prognostic lymph node yield thresholds have been identified and incorporated into treatment guidelines for multiple cancer sites, but not for oral cancer. The objective of this study was to identify optimal thresholds in elective and therapeutic neck dissection for oral cavity cancers. METHODS: Patients with oral cavity cancers in the National Cancer Database (NCDB) were stratified into clinically lymph node-negative (cN0) and clinically lymph node-positive (cN+) cohorts to reflect the differing surgical management for these diseases. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the relation between lymph node yield and overall survival, adjusting for other prognostic factors. Thresholds derived from the NCDB were validated in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. RESULTS: In patients with cN0 cancers of the oral cavity from the NCDB, those who had <16 lymph nodes had significantly decreased survival. The proportion of positive lymph nodes was higher for patients who had ≥16 lymph nodes (27.2% vs 16.3% for < 16 lymph nodes; P < .001). This threshold was validated in 2715 lymph node-negative cancers from SEER, with a mortality hazard ratio of 0.825 for ≥ 16 lymph nodes (95% confidence interval, 0.764-0.950; P = .004). In patients with cN + oral cavity cancers from the NCDB, groups with <26 lymph nodes had significantly decreased survival. This threshold was validated in 1903 lymph node-positive cancers from SEER, with a mortality hazard ratio of 0.791 (95% confidence interval, 0.692-0.903; P = .001). Academic centers, higher volume centers, and geographic location predicted higher lymph node yields. CONCLUSIONS: More extensive neck dissection (≥16 lymph nodes in cN0, ≥ 26 lymph nodes in cN+) was associated with better survival. Further evaluation of practice patterns in lymph node yield may represent an opportunity for improved quality of care. Cancer 2016;122:3624-31. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Treatment trends and survival effects of chemotherapy for hypopharyngeal cancer: Analysis of the National Cancer Data Base.

BACKGROUND: The current study was performed to characterize trends and survival outcomes for chemotherapy in the definitive and adjuvant treatment of hypopharyngeal cancer in the United States. METHODS: A total of 16,248 adult patients diagnosed with primary hypopharyngeal cancer without distant metastases between 1998 and 2011 were identified in the National Cancer Data Base. The association between treatment modality and overall survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and 5-year survival rates. A multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed on a subset of 3357 cases to determine the treatment modalities that predict improved survival when controlling for demographic and clinical factors. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in the use of chemotherapy with radiotherapy both as definitive treatment (P<.001) and as adjuvant chemoradiotherapy with surgery (P=.001). This was accompanied by a decrease in total laryngectomy/pharyngectomy rates (P<.001). Chemoradiotherapy was associated with improved 5-year survival compared with radiotherapy alone in the definitive setting (31.8% vs 25.2%; log rank P<.001). Similarly, in multivariateanalysis, definitive radiotherapy was found to be associated with compromised survival compared with definitive chemoradiotherapy (hazard ratio, 1.51; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Survival analysis revealed that overall 5-year survival rates were higher for chemoradiotherapy compared with radiotherapy alone in the definitive setting, but were comparable between surgery with chemoradiotherapy and surgery with radiotherapy. Cancer 2016;122:1853-60. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE FOR PAPILLARY THYROID MICROCARCINOMA: NEW CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.

OBJECTIVE: The dramatic increase in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is primarily a result of early diagnosis of small cancers. Active surveillance is a promising management strategy for papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (PTMCs). However, as this management strategy gains traction in the U.S., it is imperative that patients and clinicians be properly educated, patients be followed for life, and appropriate tools be identified to implement the strategy. METHODS: We review previous active surveillance studies and the parameters used to identify patients who are good candidates for active surveillance. We also review some of the challenges to implementing active surveillance protocols in the U.S. and discuss how these might be addressed. RESULTS: Trials of active surveillance support nonsurgical management as a viable and safe management strategy. However, numerous challenges exist, including the need for adherence to protocols, education of patients and physicians, and awareness of the impact of this strategy on patient psychology and quality of life. The Thyroid Cancer Care Collaborative (TCCC) is a portable record keeping system that can manage a mobile patient population undergoing active surveillance. CONCLUSION: With proper patient selection, organization, and patient support, active surveillance has the potential to be a long-term management strategy for select patients with PTMC. In order to address the challenges and opportunities for this approach to be successfully implemented in the U.S., it will be necessary to consider psychological and quality of life, cultural differences, and the patient's clinical status.

The differential diagnosis of central compartment radioactive iodine uptake after thyroidectomy: anatomic and surgical considerations.

OBJECTIVE: Foci of increased radioactive iodine (RAI) uptake in the thyroid bed following total thyroidectomy (TT) indicate residual thyroid tissue that may be benign or malignant. The use of postoperative RAI therapy in the form of remnant ablation, adjuvant therapy, or therapeutic intervention is often followed by a posttherapy scan. Our objective is to improve the clinician's understanding of the anatomic complexity of this region and to enhance the interpretation of postoperative scans. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive review of the literature evaluating RAI uptake in the central compartment following thyroid cancer treatment and literature related to anatomic nuances associated with this region. Thirty-eight articles were selected. RESULTS: Through extensive surgical experience and a literature review, we identified the 5 most important anatomic considerations for clinicians to understand in the interpretation of foci of increased RAI uptake in the thyroid bed on a diagnostic scan: 1) residual benign thyroid tissue at the level of the posterior thyroid ligament, 2) residual benign thyroid tissue at the superior portion of the pyramidal lobe and/or superior poles of the lateral thyroid lobes, 3) residual benign thyroid tissue that was left attached to a parathyroid gland in order to preserve its vascularity, 4) ectopic benign thyroid tissue, and 5) malignant thyroid tissue that has metastasized to central compartment nodes or invaded visceral structures. CONCLUSION: By correlating anatomic description, medical illustrations, surgical photos, and scans, we have attempted to clarify the reasons for foci of increased uptake following TT to improve the clinician's understanding of the anatomic complexity of this region.

Automated AJCC Restaging for Oropharyngeal Cancer Research.

With the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th edition staging guidelines update, human papillomavirus-positive (HPV+) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is now staged separately from its HPV-negative counterpart, preventing meaningful comparison of cases staged with the 7th versus 8th edition criteria. Manual restaging is time-consuming and error-prone, hindering multiyear analyses for HPV+ OPSCC. We developed an automated computational tool for re-classifying HPV+ OPSCC pathological and clinical tumor staging from AJCC 7th to 8th edition. The tool is designed to handle large data sets, ensuring comprehensive and accurate analysis of historic HPV+ OPSCC data. Validated against institutional and National Cancer Database data sets, the algorithm achieved accuracies of 100% (95% confidence interval [CI] 98.8%-100%) and 93.4% (95% CI 93.1%-93.7%), successfully restaging 326/326 and 26,505/28,374 cases, respectively. With its open-source design, this computational tool can enhance future HPV+ OPSCC research and inspire similar tools for other cancer types and subsequent AJCC editions.

Predisposing, Enabling, and Need Factors Driving Palliative Care Use in Head and Neck Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Characterizing factors associated with palliative care (PC) use in patients with stage III and VI head and neck cancer using Anderson's behavioral model of health service use. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study of the 2004 to 2020 National Cancer Database.gg METHODS: We used multivariate logistic regression to assess the association of predisposing, enabling, and need factors with PC use. We also investigated the association of these factors with interventional PC type (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery) and refusal of curative treatment in the last 6 months of life. RESULTS: Five percent of patients received PC. "Predisposing factors" associated with less PC use include Hispanic ethnicity (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 086; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76-0.97) and white and black race (vs white: aOR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.07-1.22). "Enabling factors" associated with lower PC include private insurance (vs uninsured: aOR, 064; 95% CI, 0.53-0.77) and high-income (aOR, 078; 95% CI, 0.71-0.85). "Need factors" associated with higher PC use include stage IV (vs stage III cancer: aOR, 2.25; 95% CI, 2.11-2.40) and higher comorbidity index (vs Index 1: aOR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.42-1.75). High-income (aOR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.71-0.85) and private insurance (aOR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.53, 0.77) were associated with higher interventional PC use and lower curative treatment refusal (insurance: aOR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.55, 0.67; income aOR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.44, 0.52). CONCLUSION: Low PC uptake is attributed to patients' race/culture, financial capabilities, and disease severity. Culturally informed counseling, clear guidelines on PC indication, and increasing financial accessibility of PC may increase timely and appropriate use of this service.

Patterns of Care for T1 Glottic Squamous Cell Carcinomas from 2004-2020.

OBJECTIVE(S): Describe recent national trends in overall treatment modalities for T1 glottic squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), and identify factors associated with treatment regimens. METHODS: National Cancer Database from 2004-2020 was queried for all patients with glottic cT1N0M0 SCC. Treatment patterns over time were analyzed using the Cochran-Armitage test for trend. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to determine the factors associated with treatment regimens. RESULTS: Of the 22,414 patients identified, most patients received RT only (57%), 21% received surgery only, and 22% received dual-modality treatment ("over-treatment"). Over the time period, there was a decreasing trend in rates of over-treatment for T1 glottic SCC (p < 0.001) and an increasing trend in surgery only (p < 0.001). Treatment in 2016-2018 (OR: 1.168 [1.004 to 1.359]), 2013-2015 (OR: 1.419 [1.221 to 1.648]), 2010-2012 (OR: 1.611 [1.388 to 1.871]), 2007-2009 (OR: 1.682 [1.450 to 1.951]), or 2004-2006 (OR: 1.795 [1.548 to 2.081]) versus 2019-2020 was associated with greater likelihood of over-treatment. T1b tumors were less likely to be over-treated (OR: 0.795 [0.707 to 0.894]) versus T1a tumors, and less likely to receive surgery first (OR: 0.536 [0.485 to 0.592]) versus T1a tumors. CONCLUSION: Over-treatment for T1 glottic SCC has been declining, with increasing rates of surgery only. Year of treatment was significantly associated with the receipt of dual-modality treatment. Finally, patients with T1b disease were more likely to receive RT as the first and only treatment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 134:3633-3644, 2024.

Detection, Patterns, and Outcomes of Recurrent HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Importance: Recurrent human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is a relatively rare but serious disease with little empirical data. Previous works have studied patterns of recurrence in HPV-positive OPSCC, but only one has studied truly recurrent disease as opposed to persistent disease, and no work systematically analyzed posttreatment surveillance imaging strategies and how recurrences were detected. Objective: To refine the understanding of HPV-positive OPSCC recurrence and inform optimal imaging surveillance strategies. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study involved electronic medical record review at a tertiary care hospital. Patients treated for OPSCC from 2012 to 2019 were extracted, and patients diagnosed with HPV-positive OPSCC were identified. Data were analyzed from December 2022 to May 2023. Main Outcome Measures: Percentage of patients with a true recurrence, location of recurrence, time of recurrence detection, and method of recurrence detection. Recurrence was demonstrated with a scan after an imaging-established disease-free state 3 to 6 months posttreatment. Results: Of the 367 patients with HPV-positive OPSCC (mean [SD] age, 60.6 [9.2] years; 310 [84.5%] male), 37 (10.1%) experienced true disease recurrence. Median (IQR) follow-up time of the cohort was 3.6 years (8.5-88 months), defined as time from diagnosis to death or last contact. Within the true recurrence cohort, 21 patients (56.8%) experienced local, regional, or local and regional recurrence (LRR); 15 (40.5%) experienced distant metastasis (DM); and 1 (2.7%) experienced both LRR and DM. The mean (SD) time for detecting LRR was 2.46 (1.94) years and was considerably longer compared to the 1.89 (0.87) years for detecting DM (difference, 0.57 [95% CI, -0.29 to 1.02] years). The majority of patients identified their recurrence through symptom changes (31 [81.1%]) rather than through surveillance imaging (3 [8.1%]). Conclusion and Relevance: In this cohort study, 10.1% of patients experienced true HPV-positive OPSCC disease recurrence, with most incidences of DM occurring in the lung and brain. Disease recurrence was identified primarily through symptomatic change, suggesting that further research may be needed to understand the optimal surveillance strategies after definitive treatment.

The Impact of Four Smoking Metrics on Survival After Diagnosis with HPV+ Oropharyngeal Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: While tobacco use is understood to negatively impact HPV+ oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) outcomes, debate remains as to how this impact differs between cohorts. Multiple smoking metrics have been identified as having the greatest prognostic significance, and some recent works have found smoking to have no significant impact. Herein, we show through an analysis of four common smoking metrics that while smoking impacts overall survival (OS), it has a limited impact on recurrence-free survival (RFS) in our cohort. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of patients treated for HPV+ OPSCC in our health system from 2012 to 2019. Patients with metastatic disease or concurrent second primaries were excluded. Four metrics of tobacco use were assessed: current/former/never smokers, ever/never smokers, and smokers with >10 or >20 pack-year (PY) smoking histories. Our main outcomes were 3-year RFS and OS. RESULTS: Three hundred and sixty-seven patients met inclusion criteria. 37.3% of patients (137/367) were never-smokers; 13.8% of patients (51/367) were currently smoking at diagnosis and 48.8% of patients (179/367) were former smokers. No tobacco-use metric significantly impacted 3-year RFS. On univariate analysis, all smoking metrics yielded inferior OS. On multivariate analysis, current and ever smoking status significantly impacted 3-year OS. CONCLUSION: The impact of tobacco use on HPV+ OPSCC outcomes is not universal, but may instead be modulated by other cohort-specific factors. The impact of smoking may decrease as rates of tobacco use decline. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 (Cohort and case-control studies) Laryngoscope, 134:3158-3164, 2024.

Environmental Impact of a Direct Laryngoscopy: Opportunities for Pollution Mitigation.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the environmental impact of standard direct laryngoscopy surgery and model the environmental benefit of three feasible alternative scenarios that meet safe decontamination reprocessing requirements. STUDY DESIGN: This is a life cycle assessment (LCA) modeling study. SETTING: Yale-New Haven Hospital (YNHH), a 1541-bed tertiary medical center in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. METHODS: We performed cradle-to-grave LCA of DLS at Yale New Haven Hospital in 2022, including global warming potential (GWP), water consumption, and fine particulate matter formation. Three alternative scenarios were modeled: disinfecting surgical tools using high-level disinfection rather than steam sterilization, substituting non-sterile for sterile gloves and gowns; and reducing surgical towel and drape sizes by 30%. RESULTS: Changes in disinfection practices would decrease procedure GWP by 11% in each environmental impact category. Substituting non-sterile gowns and gloves reduced GWP by 15%, with nominal changes to water consumption. Linen size reduction resulted in 28% less procedure-related water consumption. Together, a nearly 30% reduction across all environmental impact categories could be achieved. CONCLUSIONS: Not exceeding minimum Center for Disease Control (CDC) decontamination standards for reusable devices and optimizing non-sterile consumable materials could dramatically reduce healthcare-associated emissions without compromising safety, thereby minimizing the negative consequences of hospital operations to environmental and human health. Findings extend to other non-sterile surgical procedures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA Laryngoscope, 134:3206-3214, 2024.

Identifying Opportunities to Deliver High-Quality Cancer Care Across a Health System: A Clinical Responsibility.

OBJECTIVE: We examined process-related quality metrics for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) depending on treating facility type across a health system and region. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective in accordance with Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. SETTING: Single health system and region. METHODS: Patients with OSCC diagnosed between 2012 and 2018 were identified from tumor registries of 6 hospitals (1 academic and 5 community) within a single health system. Patients were categorized into 3 care groups: (1) solely at the academic center, (2) solely at community facilities, and (3) combined care at academic and community facilities. Primary outcome measures were process-related quality metrics: positive surgical margin rate, lymph node yield (LNY), adjuvant treatment initiation ≤6 weeks, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)-guideline adherence. RESULTS: A total of 499 patients were included: 307 (61.5%) patients in the academic-only group, 101 (20.2%) in the community-only group, and 91 (18.2%) in the combined group. Surgery at community hospitals was associated with increased odds of positive surgical margins (11.9% vs 2.5%, odds ratio [OR]: 47.73, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.2-275.86, P < .001) and lower odds of LNY ≥ 18 (52.8% vs 85.9%, OR: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.07-0.33, P < .001) relative to the academic center. Compared with the academic-only group, odds of adjuvant treatment initiation ≤6 weeks were lower for the combined group (OR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.13-0.64, P = .002) and odds of NCCN guideline-adherent treatment were lower in the community only group (OR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.18-0.70, P = .003). CONCLUSION: Quality of oral cancer care across the health system and region is comparable to or better-than national standards, indicating good baseline quality of care. Differences by facility type and fragmentation of care present an opportunity for bringing best in-class cancer care across an entire region.

Role of PET/CT in Oropharyngeal Cancers.

Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) comprises cancers of the tonsils, tongue base, soft palate, and uvula. The staging of oropharyngeal cancers varies depending upon the presence or absence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-directed pathogenesis. The incidence of HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer (HPV + OPSCC) is expected to continue to rise over the coming decades. PET/CT is a useful modality for the diagnosis, staging, and follow up of patients with oropharyngeal cancers undergoing treatment and surveillance.

Novel Machine Learning Model to Predict Interval of Oral Cancer Recurrence for Surveillance Stratification.

OBJECTIVE(S): We aimed to develop a machine learning (ML) model to accurately predict the timing of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) recurrence across four 1-year intervals. METHODS: Patients with surgically treated OSCC between 2012-2018 were retrospectively identified from the Yale-New Haven Health system tumor registry. Patients with known recurrence or minimum follow-up of 24 months from surgery were included. Patients were classified into one of five levels: four 1-year intervals and one level for no recurrence (within 4 years of surgery). Three sets of data inputs (comprehensive, feature selection, nomogram) were combined with 4 ML architectures (logistic regression, decision tree (DT), support vector machine (SVM), artificial neural network classifiers) yielding 12 models in total. Models were primarily evaluated using mean absolute error (MAE), lower values indicating better prediction of 1-year interval recurrence. Secondary outcomes included accuracy, weighted precision, and weighted recall. RESULTS: 389 patients met inclusion criteria: 102 (26.2%) recurred within 48 months of surgery. Median follow-up time was 25 months (IQR: 15-37.5) for patients with recurrence and 44 months (IQR: 32-57) for patients without recurrence. MAE of 0.654% and 80.8% accuracy were achieved on a 15-variable feature selection input by 2 ML models: DT and SVM classifiers. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first study to leverage multiclass ML models to predict time to OSCC recurrence. We developed a model using feature selection data input that reliably predicted recurrence within 1-year intervals. Precise modeling of recurrence timing has the potential to personalize surveillance protocols in the future to enhance early detection and reduce extraneous healthcare costs. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 133:1652-1659, 2023.

Trends in Private Equity Acquisitions of US Otolaryngology Practices.

With the increasing consolidation of physician practices, private equity (PE) firms have been playing a growing role in healthcare delivery and recently began entering the otolaryngology-head and neck surgery space. To date, no studies have examined the extent of PE investment in otolaryngology. We assessed trends and geographic distribution of US otolaryngology practices acquired by PE using Pitchbook (Seattle, WA), a comprehensive market database. From 2015 to 2021, 23 otolaryngology practices were acquired by PE. The number of PE acquisitions increased over time: 1 practice was acquired in 2015 versus 4 practices in 2019 versus 8 practices in 2021. Nearly half (43.5%, n = 10) of acquired practices were in the South Atlantic region. The median number of otolaryngologists at these practices was 5 (interquartile range: 3-7). As PE investment in otolaryngology continues to grow, further research is needed to assess its impact on clinical decision-making, healthcare costs, physician job satisfaction, clinical efficiency, and patient outcomes.

Prophylactic Intraoperative Antibiotic Dosing in Head and Neck Surgery: Opportunities for Improvement and Future Study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate rates of Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) guideline adherence with regard to intraoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in head and neck surgery with free tissue transfer. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. SETTING: A single academic center. METHODS: All patients who underwent mucosa-violating head and neck oncologic surgery with free tissue transfer between March 2017 and June 2019 were reviewed. Intraoperative antibiotic data included type, dosage, frequency of administration, and duration. Any deviation from SCIP recommendations was defined as nonadherence. Antibiotic type was categorized as ampicillin-sulbactam, cefazolin/metronidazole, clindamycin, and others. As a secondary exploratory analysis, postoperative infections were analyzed and stratified by adherent vs nonadherent and by antibiotic type. RESULTS: A total of 129 surgical procedures were included. The mean ± SD number of antibiotic doses during surgery was 3.16 ± 1.2. The mean number of missed doses was 1.86 ± 1.65. Adherence rate with first dosing recommendation was 100%, as compared with 41.7% for dose 2, 23.1% for dose 3, 13.7% for dose 4, 5.26% for dose 5, 2.56% for dose 6, and 0% for dose 7 (P < .001). Ampicillin-sulbactam (6.4%) had a significantly lower rate of average redosing adherence when compared with cefazolin/metronidazole (73.2%) and clindamycin (63.3%; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Significant opportunities exist in SCIP guideline adherence rates for intraoperative antibiotic prophylaxis. Cefazolin/metronidazole had a significantly higher rate of appropriate redosing when compared with ampicillin-sulbactam, which should be considered when choosing a prophylactic antibiotic regimen and performing antibiotic-based outcomes studies. More attention should be given to intraoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in head and neck surgery with free tissue transfer, as this presents an opportunity for quality improvement and future study heretofore not explored.